ALBION, Mich. – Albion College hoped to have Brett de Bear reached a career milestone and secure a victory over Defiance College in non-league women's basketball action Saturday night.
de Bear led all players with 24 points to become the eighth Albion women's basketball player to score 1,000 career points, but Megan Zachrich and Erica King combined to score all 12 of Defiance's points in overtime as the Yellow Jackets walked off the Kresge Gymnasium court with a 67-60 victory.
de Bear produced a pair of baskets during Albion's 9-0 surge to a 52-46 lead with 3 ½ minutes remaining in regulation.
Defiance answered with a 9-1 run as Zachrich knocked down a jumper, Ashley Williams buried a 3-point shot, and Kelsey Tietje tacked on an old-fashioned 3-point play.
Down 55-53, Albion had 1.8 seconds left in regulation to produce a basket that would extend the game to overtime or lift the Britons to victory. Darian Payne received a long inbound pass and sent the ball to de Bear for a layup that tied the score at 55.
Zachrich scored the first six points of overtime and Defiance never looked back. Albion, which shot 27 percent from the field fir the game, made 1-of-9 shots in the extra period.
Zachrich finished with 11 points and was one of three Defiance players to score in double figures. Tietje completed her sixth double-double of the season with 15 points and a career-high 16 rebounds. Ashley Birchmeier chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
de Bear, who scored at least 20 points for the sixth time this season, has scored 1,1018 points in her career. She needs 28 points to tie Kacy Davidson (1996-2000) for seventh-place on Albion's all-time scoring ladder.
Darian Payne was Albion's other double figure scorer with 11.
